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    You are at:Home»Dairy-Free Recipes»Cream and Butter Subs»Vegan Crème Anglaise is Eggless, Creamless Custard Sauce

    Vegan Crème Anglaise is Eggless, Creamless Custard Sauce

    6
    By Alisa Fleming on October 3, 2019 Cream and Butter Subs, Dairy Free Desserts, Dairy-Free Recipes, Sauces

    As I type, I’m on the Eurostar chunneling from England to France. I just pulled up our archives, to decide which post I should update next, and this dairy-free crème anglaise recipe appeared. Crème anglaise is French for “English cream,” which struck me as funny and fortuitous. I first shared this tofu vegan crème anglaise recipe way back in 2006. That was long before we did photos, and back when our format was quite rough, so it is time for a big makeover.

    Vegan Crème Anglaise Recipe - a tofu-based vanilla custard sauce that's healthier, dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free, and plant-based. A delicious dessert topping.

    This Vegan Crème Anglaise is a Healthier Vanilla Custard Sauce

    So many years ago, this creative dessert topping recipe was shared with us from The Peaceful Palate: Fine Vegetarian Cuisine by Jennifer Raymond. Traditional crème anglaise is made with heavy dairy cream and egg yolks, but Jennifer’s version is both dairy-free and egg-free. She uses an interesting collection of ingredients to create a creamy, custard-like sauce that’s plant-based and quite nutritious. Here are some of my notes to help you find these foods, or substitute them if needed.

    Tofu

    You must use silken tofu in this recipe, which purees into a smooth, creamy liquid. Jennifer uses soft silken tofu. If you can only locate firm silken tofu, then you can reduce the starch, possibly in half. If you need a soy-free option, you can substitute full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream for the tofu. The dairy-free crème anglaise that results will be richer and higher in fat and will have hints of coconut in the flavor.

    Milk Beverage

    Jennifer uses a vanilla rice milk beverage, which is a bit sweet. You might want to add a touch of additional sweetener if you opt to use a less sweet type. Keep in mind that milk beverages with more thickeners, like pea protein milk, might thicken up a little more. Milk beverages with simpler ingredient lists are best to use in sauces.

    Barley Malt Powder

    I must admit, I’ve never used this ingredient myself! Barley malt powder is a natural sweetener that’s typically used to make malted milk. It has a distinctive nutty, earthy flavor, and it contains barley gluten, but not dairy. You can substitute another dry sweetener, or you can simply omit it if you think the dairy-free crème anglaise is sweet enough.

    Arrowroot Starch

    Arrowroot starch is often sold in natural food stores, but it’s sometimes found with the spices instead of the other starches. In a pinch, you can substitute non-GMO cornstarch.

    Maple Syrup

    This sweetener will provide a little warmth and rich flavor. If needed, you can substitute another mild liquid sweetener, like agave nectar.

    Dairy-Free Crème Anglaise Recipe - a tofu-based vanilla custard sauce that's healthier, vegan, egg-free, and plant-based. A delicious dessert topping.

    Special Diet Notes: Vegan Crème Anglaise

    By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian. I have included soy-free (tofu substitute) and gluten-free (barley malt powder substitute) options in the ingredient notes above.

    4.3 from 3 reviews
    Vegan Crème Anglaise (made with Tofu)
     
    Print
    Prep time
    5 mins
    Cook time
    3 mins
    Total time
    8 mins
     
    This healthier custard-like sauce is a little different from traditional French-style "English cream." But it's still a delicious topping for dairy-free and vegan desserts.
    Author: Jennifer Raymond
    Recipe type: Dessert
    Cuisine: French
    Serves: 1 cup
    Ingredients
    • 5.25 ounces (half of a 10.5-ounce package) soft silken tofu
    • ½ cup vanilla dairy-free milk beverage, divided (Jennifer uses rice milk)
    • 1 tablespoon apple juice concentrate
    • 2 teaspoons barley malt powder (see post above for substitute options)
    • 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch
    • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Instructions
    1. Put the tofu, ¼ cup milk beverage, apple juice concentrate, and barley malt powder in your blender. Puree until completely smooth.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup milk beverage and arrowroot starch until dissolved.
    3. Pour the tofu mixture into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat for about 1 minute. Whisk in the arrowroot mixture and cook until the sauce is thickened.
    4. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the maple syrup and vanilla until combined.
    5. Use hot, warm, or cooled over fresh fruit or cake. If you have any leftover, let the sauce cool completely, then cover and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days.
    3.5.3229

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    For More Dairy Alternative Recipes, Get Go Dairy Free!

    Go Dairy Free - The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance and Casein-Free Living

    Alisa Fleming
    • Website

    Alisa is the founder of GoDairyFree.org, Food Editor for Allergic Living magazine, and author of the best-selling dairy-free book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living, and the new cookbook, Eat Dairy Free: Your Essential Cookbook for Everyday Meals, Snacks, and Sweets. Alisa is also a professional recipe creator and product ambassador for the natural food industry.

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    6 Comments

    1. Dan Trotter on December 7, 2021 8:00 am

      Nice creamy result. I didn’t have arrowroot so used xantham gum and had to dilute with more soya milk, then added sugar to taste. The result is thick and glossy but without setting solid when cold. Will make again, thanks.

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on December 7, 2021 12:28 pm

        Glad it worked out well for you Dan and thanks for sharing your own modifications.

        Reply
    2. Jo-nation on February 13, 2021 9:57 pm

      Love seeing vegan recipes when browsing for alternative. I’m not a full fledged vegan but I do support and bekieve in sustainable/regenerative/organic gardening, farming and ranching, and clean eating.

      Do admire and like to try different styles of cooking: egg free, dairy free, I am allergic to wheat and corn so thise I try to avoid those

      Have tried aquafaba, flax eggs, chia eggs, full-fat coconut milk, almond, rice, soy, hemp and oat milks

      Any-ways

      Blessings, Kudos and carry on Sister

      Reply
    3. Lyn on May 27, 2017 3:21 pm

      Since I am gluten free is there something I could substitute for the malt powder?

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on May 27, 2017 4:03 pm

        I would omit or just use powdered sugar if needed.

        Reply
      • Kate Morgan on October 11, 2020 12:59 pm

        If you need it to taste a bit more like “creme” or “dairy” and that is a function of the malt — you try a bit of nutritional yeast.

        Reply

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